Garden State Hardwood Classic Saturday Night in Newark
Only 27 miles separate the two schools, but don’t tell them that. Because every time these two stories rivals meet in the Garden State a seismic shift can be felt from up and down the turnpike and I-287.
Rutgers vs. Seton Hall will commence for the 74th time on Saturday night in Newark. And every time these two teams meet it’s a good one. Last year the two former Big East rivals slugged it out in a 45-43 decision won by Seton Hall at Jersey Mike’s Arena. Now the scene will shift to the Prudential Center in Newark in front of a sold-out crowd.
Both teams come into the match-up at 5-3, with Rutgers having lost two in a row to Illinois and Wake Forest in the last week. On the flip side, Seton Hall has faced a gauntlet of its own, losing games to USC, Baylor and Iowa in the past two weeks.
In short, this is a get-right game for both programs. They both need a win to get back on track with eyes toward March Madness glory.
National Rankings:
In the national rankings, Rutgers is 13th in scoring defense (60.6), 14th in field goal percentage defense (37.3%), 15th in blocks per game (5.8) and 16th in turnover margin (5.0).
At the same time, Seton Hall ranks fourth nationally in free throw percentage at 80.1% and is also top-50 nationally in steals at 8.9 per game (first in the Big East).
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
For Rutgers, Clifford Omoruyi is sitting at 999 points and needs just one point to eclipse 1,000 points for his career.
Derek Simpson is averaging 23 minutes a game on the floor and is hitting at 50 percent from downtown and 87 percent from the charity stripe.
Also keep an eye on Noah Fernandes who has been solid on both sides of the floor, and Aundre Hyatt who is leading Rutgers in scoring with 94 points (11.8 per game).
On Seton Hall, Kadary Richmond and Dre Davis have been deadly accurate from the floor. Both are leading scorers for the Pirates, with Richmond hitting 50 percent of his shots from the floor, and Davis hitting at close to 48 percent. Their one weakness is the three-point shot, where both have struggled beyond the arch.
Catch the action live on Fox Sports New Jersey beginning at 8 p.m. following the conclusion of the Rutgers-Indiana women’s basketball game.
ALSO SEE: Long Time Rutgers AD Fred Gruninger Passes Away at 92
